The End
by Kassidy62
Summary: The missing scenes from the day Prue died


The End  
  
(the missing scenes between season three and four)  
  
by Kassidy Rae  
  
Please note I have recapped storylines from the third season's last episode (All Hell Breaks Loose) and the first episode of the fourth season (Charmed Again) and incorporated them into this story to link the two seasons.  
  
Prue grunted, slamming her bloody hand ferociously onto the light switch and spun to face the dimmed room. Suddenly, before her eyes appeared a shower of blue and white lights, coalescing as Leo orbed into the hospital room that Prue had seconds ago blocked from intruders. His eyes widened, taking in Prue's pale, blood-streaked face as she said, eyes still and watchful, "They killed her, Leo. They think we're the demons now."  
  
Leo's face crumpled as he turned to stare at the still body of his wife. In nightmare detail, his eyes took in her bloodied chest and stomach. His knees almost gave out from under him as he knelt by her side. "Oh, God - how can this be happening? I don't understand," he said, bewildered, lost. He waited for her to breathe, but her chest did not rise. "I'm so sorry.." And he kissed Piper's forehead, shaking.  
  
Prue's fierce voice rasped at him. "Can you make this right or not?" But Leo was unable to tear himself away from Piper. His shoulders shook as he sobbed. Prue grabbed his arm and pulled him upright, demanding, "Go!" and Leo orbed out of the hospital room. Leaning over Piper, Prue held her hand for an instant before stroking her forehead gently. "Don't worry," she whispered in a ragged voice, "he's going to fix it. I promise. You're going to be fine," she added, willing Piper to hear, to open her eyes, for it to be true.  
  
_________________________________  
  
Leo appeared in a shimmer of light before Cole and Phoebe, still in the Underworld. Phoebe took one look at his broken face and whispered "Piper," stunned. She hugged him, and Leo buried his face in her shoulder. Swallowing, Cole looked downward.  
  
"You don't have to do this," whispered Leo uncertainly to Phoebe. Phoebe looked into his eyes and touched his face with both hands. "Yes, I do."  
  
She turned to face Cole. "So." she said, eyes dull, trying to gain her focus. "Will resetting time affect us down here?"  
  
"No," he replied, voice low.  
  
"Good. I only have one condition," she said, voice stronger now, eyes intent. "You must warn Prue and Piper before the demonic hit man attacks. Otherwise, they're dead anyway," and she searched Cole's eyes desperately, wanting, needing to believe that they could make it right. Cole nodded, trying to reassure her of something he could not feel.  
  
Leaving Phoebe, Cole set out to confirm the details of the pact with the Source. He entered the maw of the devil's lair, stopping short for an instant. The malice directed towards him was palpable. Cole felt relieved as the Source agreed to the terms set forth before him, sealing the unholy bargain that Phoebe desperately needed..a relief soon chased away by despair in the Source's continued presence. Despair that Phoebe was giving her soul in exchange for her sister's life.  
  
Cole was soon summarily dismissed, and a guard was summoned before the Source. "Once I have reset time, detain him. And then kill his witch. That way I won't have to worry about Belthazor anymore. or the 'Charmed Ones'," the Source said, his voice heavy with irony. The guard listened intently, then inclined his head and left to gather others to help him restrain Belthazor.  
  
"It shall be done." the Source intoned, as the sound of an immense thunder rumbled through the underground. As time retraced its steps, the bullet sent forward though the wall of the hospital room by a zealous SWAT team member began its backwards journey, away from Prue's grieving heart.  
  
______________________________  
  
Six twenty-five a.m. Prue and Piper had just brought Dr. Griffiths to the manor in an effort to save his life.  
  
"Look, I know that this all sounds incredible, but it doesn't make it any less true. All right, you're a healer, you do good - now, either you have saved too many lives or you're about to save a life that they don't want you to save," said Prue swiftly, thinking out loud. Piper placed her hands on her hips.  
  
"They?" said Dr. Griffiths, voice raised, incredulous.  
  
"Yeah, demons. Uh, more specifically, Shax. He's the Source's assassin," Prue said, matter-of-factly. Piper eyed her sister, willing her to keep silent.  
  
"Hold it, I got it. This is a practical joke, right?" said Dr. Griffiths, chuckling. Prue shook her head no, but he continued, "Do you have a hidden camera here? Did my second wife put you up to this? Ah," he laughed, "It's just like her."  
  
"Okay, Dr. Griffiths, listen to me, this is anything but." and she stopped and listened.  
  
"What?" said Piper, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"I don't know.I just felt a chill. Phoebe?" called Prue. Piper looked up expectantly. The house was unnaturally silent. "Phoebe, are you there?"  
  
From outside the front door of the manor, a tunnel of wind appeared, crashing through the front doors. "Phoebe, where are you?" screamed Prue desperately, as the tornado knocked both her and Piper, sprawling, to the floor. From out of the tornado appeared a massive long-haired figure with gray clothes, hair and skin. The apparition smiled menacingly.  
  
"Dear God!" exclaimed a shocked Dr. Griffiths. Prue flung her hair away from her face and jumped up from the floor, screaming "No!" She pushed the Doctor aside, and was hit by an energy ball thrown by Shax. Crashing through the wall of the house with sickening force, Prue landed unconscious, face up on the ground outside. Standing to face the demon, Piper was flung through the wall by another energy ball and landed next to her sister.  
  
"What are you?" asked the Doctor, voice high-pitched and quivering.  
  
"The end," intoned the demon, and sent the doctor crashing through a stained-glass window. His still body lay across the sill as blood ran out of his ear to drip on the ground below.  
  
Shax smiled and looked at the two women lying on the ground before him. Blood streamed from Piper's nose and smeared her opened palm. Prue lay motionless beside her as blood trickled from her ear and pooled at the back of her head. Satisfied, Shax disappeared once again into the whirlwind. It swept out of the house, shattering the glass in the double doors. Leaves swirled about the porch in its wake.  
  
________________________  
  
Cole walked swiftly away from the entryway of the Source's lair. He was thinking furiously about what his next step should be. He could not leave Phoebe at the mercy of the Source, and yet he knew she'd made a choice that was by every right hers to make. It didn't matter. He could not let her give up her soul to the Source. He approached her as she stood motionless, back turned to him, arms around Leo.  
  
"Is everything set?" Leo asked.  
  
Cole nodded grimly. "You know there's no way for us to know what the Source plans for Phoebe. But whatever it is, he will ruin her. And I don't intend to let that happen," said Cole.  
  
Phoebe's eyes widened. "I'm warning you.don't mess this up! It's my only chance."  
  
Cole's blue eyes hardened as he returned her gaze. "I'm not going to let him hurt you, Phoebe!"  
  
"You're the reason Piper's dead!" Phoebe flared. "I abandoned my sisters for you, and now I have to make it right again!" Cole's eyes faltered for an instant. He stared at her, willing her to look at him, but she wouldn't meet his eyes.  
  
"You've got to warn." Leo started, but didn't finish his sentence as the area was suddenly flooded with guards sent by the Source. Five of them rushed Cole immediately, dragging him away from Leo and Phoebe. He lunged towards the knot of guards surrounding them. His captors surged forward as he dragged himself closer to Phoebe. He punched one of them quickly, viciously, breaking the guard's nose with an audible snap, and held out his hand as an energy ball sprung to life on his palm. He swiped the surrounding guards with it in a circular motion, burning them. They released their grip on him, ducking and screaming.  
  
Leo stood in front of Phoebe, blocking the path of the guards, but there were too many of them and he was swiftly knocked aside. One of them, a demon with long black hair and a saturnine face pulled a thin, heavily ornamented knife from his belt. In a heartbeat he swiped it quickly across Phoebe's throat. Immediately, blood gushed from the wound. He laughed as Phoebe attempted silently, weakly to cover her throat.  
  
"No!" Cole screamed, and morphed instantly into Belthazor. He grabbed guard after guard and flung them as if they were gnats. Leo lunged forward, grabbing and holding Phoebe as blows rained down upon him, healing her. The demon who'd attacked Phoebe drew the knife back again, grabbing her face, and said, "Time to die."  
  
Phoebe struck out, knocking the knife away and wrested herself away from the demon for an instant, freeing her to levitate and get her head above the crowd. She kicked out in vicious, hard chops at the guards closest to her. Leo slammed his elbow into the face of the guard next to him, and began to swing at another one who grabbed his arm. Belthazor plowed into the circle surrounding Phoebe, easily dispatching the remaining guards until none separated him from her. She came to rest on the ground again as the huge red and black demon loomed over her, chest heaving. "Cole." she said evenly. The demon stared at her, and his black eyes seemed stricken.  
  
"You're o.k.?" asked Leo quickly.  
  
I'm o.k.. even though the Source would have it otherwise," she said, eyes still on Belthazor. "You've got to go, Leo.you're the only hope they have left. He won't hurt me.."  
  
Leo nodded, orbing out quickly. Belthazor towered above Phoebe. He reached down to her and touched her arm gently. She kept her eyes on his. "Cole.I need you to come back to me. I'm.I'm sorry - I know I've hurt you," and the beloved form of Cole once again materialized in front of her. His blue eyes stared into her brown ones for an instant, emotionless, before bending and crushing her to him.  
  
"Phoebe, thank God you're not hurt." he whispered.  
  
"No, but I've hurt you. I know it," she said, pulling herself from his grasp to look into his gaze. He broke the stare, turning away from her.  
  
"You were upset. It's all right," he said, careful to keep his voice normal. He couldn't meet her eyes.  
  
"Look at me, Cole! What I said was wrong. I was frantic. I lashed out at you. I didn't mean it," she said, softly.  
  
He turned to her, swiftly. "Of course you meant it," he said, voice hard. "You were being honest. It's true. If you had been there, this might have never happened. We both know that. And Phoebe.somehow, we're going to have to find a way to live with that.or not."  
  
"We can't do this, now," she whispered, looking at him. "I need you to help me. To help us. To make it right, if we can. Take me to my sisters."  
  
He held her, eyes locked onto hers as he shimmered them back up to a world they hoped still held two other Halliwell sisters, alive and well.  
  
But it was not to be.  
  
__________________________  
  
To be continued 


End file.
